Encrypted

by Weaver, Nicole

  "Dispatch, this is D21, 10-4."

  Detective Miller keyed up her radio again. "This is D21 to responding officers. You heard dispatch. Light it up and hold the perimeter, no sirens. I'm heading around the back side to keep civilians out. Hold Starstuff when they arrive for a tactical update." She pulled out a pair of binoculars.

  The other squad cars flipped on their lights and stayed put.

  Glad something is going right today; that smoke is covering everything.

  A group of teenagers popped out of the back of the bus, the only area not covered in oily black smoke, and ran across the street. Smoke at the other end obscured the fighting Primes, but occasionally a burning tire or chunk of metal flew into the road. What the hell Scorch? Those are witnesses! At least they are going away from where I need to be. There were no new instructions on her phone.

  Jamming her cruiser into gear, she backed up and weaved her way through the other squad cars. Eggers, you picked the worst day to let a drunken bimbo get the drop on you. Maybe you should wear a helmet for a while. She made a mental note to have him pulled from the force at the earliest opportunity.

  The drive through the backside of the neighborhood went quickly. Most people appeared to have decided it was safer inside their homes. It's true. Witnesses tend to get dealt with, one way or another.

  Detective Miller eased to a stop at the edge of the remaining smoke. The bus, shredded and starting to burn, sat in the middle of a circle of demolished vehicles. Smoldering tires dotted the area, probably by design, and one large, burning wreck of a tree added a surreal feeling to it all.

  A tall man stepped out of the shrubs lining the side of the street. Dressed like a lumberjack with a red mask and goggles, he held an unconscious woman in a ruined business suit slung over one shoulder. Scorch, the pyrokinetic, moved into the street and watched as the squad car slowed to a stop in front of him.

  Detective Miller leaped out of her squad car, gun drawn, and rushed him.

  "What the hell are you doing out here?" She waved her gun in his face. "A whole busload of kids just watched your little stunt. Couldn't you have waited five minutes for the bus to leave before blowing shit up? You might not be afraid of these—" She waved her gun in his face. "—but Starstuff is on its way. Get in the back seat and keep her quiet while I get your ass to the boss."

  His lips twisted into a mocking grin as he gave the unconscious woman a little shake. "This one was madder than a wet hen, but I got her handled." His smile slipped. "I don't burn kids without good reason, and the smoke kept 'em back. A few walked right past me and didn't even notice I was there. With Honeydew making a racket ripping up those cars, there's nothing to worry about."

  "Easy for you to say, it isn't your job to hunt down and tie off witnesses."

  He paced alongside her to the car and stuffed the unconscious Prime into the back seat before crawling in himself.

  Honeydew coughed savagely and groaned as she fumbled for a huge bruise swelling at her temple. She didn't open her eyes.

  Back in the driver seat, Detective Miller huffed. "I said keep her quiet and keep your damn head down."

  Still grinning, Scorch pushed Honeydew to the floor and draped himself flat across the back seat above her. His mask and goggles came off easily, and everything dropped neatly into the pouch attached to his belt.

  Scorch didn't hesitate to burn that busload of tourists before he joined us. Granted this was an entire bus of kids and I'm glad he didn't kill them all, but something doesn't feel right.

  ****

  Angela sat in her empty car, speaking roughly into her phone. "Look GG, she lied, but there's nothing there. The kid's foster parents have her in counseling for Oppositional Defiant Disorder. She hates authority on principle." She took a quiet breath and held it.

  The deep voice on the other end was friendly, jovial even. "I want to know why she ran. Kids that age are usually happy to grab their 15 minutes of fame."

  She winced. "The kid refused to explain her reasons, but it fits her profile. I checked her phone; it was an older model with a broken camera."

  "This doesn't feel right," GG said. "Task some resources to this. I want her checked out for sure, before we assume she's a Null." A pause. "Is Chief Bryant aware of our interest yet?"

  "No, Sir," Angela said. "He has only a vague understanding that Prime children are disappearing, though he's up in arms about that. I told you not to go after the Granville kids once he became aware of them, though he continues to trust me and has placed me in charge of the investigation."

  "Good." The swish of shuffling papers came through from the other end of the call.

  "The girl doesn't seem to be a likely candidate, but I have to admit she is hiding something. I spoke with a neighbor, a cheerleader in her graduating class, who confirmed Samantha is verbally offensive and skilled at provoking others. The cheerleader claims Samantha is a criminal, though she offered no proof and seemed to be hiding signs of an altercation under a rather extensive amount of make-up."

  "I don't care about neighbors or classmates. I care about Manifestations and leverage. Have you found either?" GG chuckled.

  "No one reported a Manifestation of any kind and I didn't see any signs of a newly Manifested Prime hiding an ability." Angela paused. "Though it struck me as odd that Scorch decided to avoid collateral damage—it doesn't fit when you compare it to those tourists he burned in Seattle."

  "Leave Scorch to me." He said. "As for the girl; are you prepared to bet on your conclusions?" GG said.

  "You know I don't bet—" She paused. "—partner. Leaving witnesses isn't typical for him, so I shared my concerns. The kid seems worthless, but I will task some low-level people with watching her if you think it is necessary." She licked her lips and reached for the pack of soothing cough drops she kept in the glove box.

  "Good." He dropped his voice to a whisper. "This is a partnership Angela, but it is between Ouroboros and myself, not you and I. Best not forget the distinction. Now, tell me more about Chief Bryant and his attempts to uncover our joint activities."

  "Fine, but don't think I won't report this little discussion to Alpha." She paused, then continued, "Chief Bryant knows more about our activities than he should, but he has no proof Ouroboros the Family is active in Arbor City. The jurisdiction clashes I engineered appear to have made the Chief quite suspicious of the PCA, so he isn't comparing notes with them, for now. As for leverage, I had an interesting conversation with him today about his son, who might be in trouble. I believe we can use the lack of communication, and his son, as a wedge to bring him under our control."

  "Excellent work, Angela. See what you can dig up on the Bryant boy's recent activities, and post someone to the girl's house, tonight." The line went dead.

  Shit. It isn't easy to maneuver assets on short notice with both GG and Chief Bryant watching me for disloyalty. Why couldn't the kid just cooperate? I don't have time to chase down every idiot Null with a bitchy attitude.

  She dialed another number.

  A male voice answered up. "Doctor Kevin Darkle speaking."

  She spoke quickly, "It's Angela. I just finished interviewing a surly teenager who seems to be one of your patients. What's going on? I thought you were too busy on the Darkling project to have a side gig."

  "Bah, any good experiment requires a control group. I have a few Nulls I work with for that purpose." He growled. "You had better not interfere with my work. Which one was it?"

  "There's no need for threats, Kevin. I'm already covering for you with GG. He thinks the kid is a Prime." She lifted her notebook to the dome light. "Samantha Gray is the name. Is GG right?"

  Kevin laughed. "No, not that one. The kid is an interesting case, but definitely a Null."

  "I believe you, but GG wants her watched and it will be so much work hiding your involvement." She sighed theatrically into the phone.

  "Damn it, again?" Kevin said. "Fine, I'll deposit the usual amount in your account. Does that make your hard
work easier to bear?"

  "Yeah, that should be sufficient." She smiled grimly to herself. "I'll keep your connection under wraps, as long she doesn't turn out to be a Prime and this situation doesn't interfere with the Darkling Project in any way."

  "Yeah, I know, new Primes go through you first, and don't worry, the Darklings will be ready for their first mission on schedule." He paused. "I am too busy re-acquiring Soulfire to deal with the Gray child right now, but my control subjects are a critical component of my work. Keep watch, if you must, but don't interfere until I've put the child through some final tests in a week or so."

  Angela checked her watch again. "Agreed."

  She hung up and traded her phone for the radio. "D21, calling dispatch, all clear. The kid had nothing to add that can't wait. Be a doll and see if the Chief will let me file my report in the morning? Over."

  The radio crackled. "D21, Standby." A pause. "D21, Chief agrees the paperwork can wait for morning, go home and get some sleep. Over."

  A deep sigh of relief slipped out. "Dispatch, D21 is a 10-4 and signing off." At least something is going right today, even if Scorch can't manage a basic extraction without making a busload of work for me.

  Complaining softly to herself, Detective Angela Miller headed home.

  Chapter 10

  Thursday May 20th, 2010

  Jon grunted when Samantha walked into the kitchen but didn't say anything, or seem to notice her hair. He went back to shoveling what looked like an attempt at scrambled eggs into his mouth.

  Samantha loaded the toaster and went hunting for milk and jam. Gross. Slurping food should be a Federal crime, just one more gross thing Heroes do.

  He sucked down the last of his eggs, waving the fork at her. "You are walking on thin ice, kid. You have a week and a half before you go with Kevin, you can spend it like a teenager, or grounded and locked in your room as a prisoner." A yellowish drop of egg yolk slid from the corner of his mouth and down to his chin, robbing his threat of any force. He didn't wipe his mouth until it dripped to the floor.

  She stuck out her tongue at him. "Get over yourself and go find someone else to harass with—."

  He held up a hand, interrupting. "Something's not right with you this morning. We are operating under Kevin's Rules, Sam. Stop talking back to me and drop the sarcasm." The tiny lines around his eyes tightened. "You make everything harder, but all we want is to help you be a better person. I am sorry I am harsh sometimes, but it's for your own good. You need to stop fighting us and start listening, so we can finally fix what is wrong with you."

  Her nemesis, The Headache, throbbed into existence, a warm pressure against the back of her eyes. I have to stop fighting back or he is going to think I really am up to something. "I'm sorry, Jon. Obviously, I will do as you tell me."

  "All this defiance, despite Kevin's Rules, makes me suspect you are going too long between sessions right now." Jon sighed. "I will bring it up with Kevin. Maybe he can fit you in this week."

  Please don't. I hate him and I feel better today than I have in a long time. "I will do whatever you decide, Jon." Pinching the bridge of her nose, she ignored the toaster as it dinged. Instead she focused on cleaning the dirty pan in the sink one-handed, until the pressure eased. The last thing I need right now is a day of migraines. I have a Manifestation to figure out.

  "That's more like it. Now, I don't want you talking to any of your old friends, as long as you live under Kevin's Rules. Your 6pm curfew is still in effect, and I expect you to stay close to home and be back on time every day until your trip with Kevin." His dark eyes watched her over the rim of his cup.

  "Yes Sir. I will always be home on time, until the trip." No talking to friends, but at least he forgot to say no texting.

  "Good. If I catch you talking to them again, I will be forced to send the police after them through my company. I'm sure your little friends have been up to shady stuff, and my word carries some weight due to my position at the Prime Research Facility." He sipped his coffee appreciatively, measuring her reaction.

  Cold fear hit her like a splash of water, focusing her thoughts. Is that what you did to Eddie? Is that why he disappeared, and the police kept misfiling the missing person's reports? Now you want to take everything I have left from me. If I fight, I lose. If I give up, I lose. Even if I win an argument, you just call Kevin on me and setup more therapy. "Yes, Jon." She dropped her eyes to the floor. "I don't always like it, but you and Mildred make the rules."

  "Good. Kevin tells me now is not the time to take away your pills, despite my feelings on the matter, but he has been right about everything else so far. Maybe we can wean you off them in another month or two."

  She flinched, but forced her eyes to stay on the floor.

  He glowered. "It pisses me off that Mildred finally shut up about it, but I still have to wait to undo the damage that crap has done to you."

  "It's important to me Jon, please—." Samantha pleaded.

  "I said no talking back to me. You really do need a session. As I was saying, if all goes well, we will be weaning you off them very soon. Now clean up the kitchen. I want to see you home and helping with dinner when I walk in the front door at 7pm." His fork clattered against his plate as he stalked from the room, coffee in hand.

  She piled his dishes into the sink for scrubbing. I want to be the person I am sometimes, when I'm not here with you. I want to be free to make my own choices. With my power, maybe I won't need my meds anymore. I can just decide headaches should go away and change whatever else I want.

  Jon hadn't demolished the kitchen as much as usual, so the cleaning went quickly. On a particularly bad day, the aftermath of his breakfast required a ladder to clean the grease off the ceiling.

  She scrubbed at the first plate slowly, waiting for the door to slam before rushing through the rest.

  Listening carefully for a late rising Mildred, or returning Jon, Samantha popped open his coffee can and added a few pinches of pepper and some salt, then shook it to spread it around. I know what the Heroes like, surprises.

  Giggling, she headed back to her room and threw together a hiking outfit, black boots, khaki shorts, blue sports bra, and a brown shirt. This is going to be fun. She finally turned on her computer. I have a mighty need for a bus route Mr. Internet.

  ****

  It's a good thing I Manifested today instead of next week, the Heroic Meet and Greet is tomorrow, right after the Graduation Ceremony. Perfect chance for some opposition research. The printer started up and she took a moment to rub her temples while she waited. The warm buzzing behind her eyes had started at breakfast and only slightly lessened over the last hour.

  She gathered up her notes and shut everything down, carefully erasing her tracks. If I am going to impress other Villains, I am going to need a place to practice. No cameras, no Jon or Mildred, and no police.

  Samantha swallowed her morning pills with water, and tossed the cracked blue flip phone across the desk to slide neatly into the open knapsack. Won't be needing that today, but better bring it along in case the foster monsters check up on me.

  Listening to Mildred making her own breakfast upstairs, she pulled the nightstand forward to get at the small slot in the back. Her bejeweled pink smartphone was still safely inside. Here we go. She grabbed the knapsack and raided her food stashes from around the bedroom, shoveling jerky, a candy bar, a compact mirror, and a nearly empty worn leather wallet into her bag.

  Quietly avoiding Mildred, Samantha slipped out the front door. An empty green van sat idling across the street and Jon's truck was gone.

  She powered up her real phone. Jon says I can't talk to anyone, but texting isn't talking, and I'm supposed to let her know I'm okay.

  Suz: Still waiting on that early morning report of what happened.

  Suz: News is spotty and none of the reporters mention you, just the star quarterback saving the day.

  S: Crap I'm sorry. Had a huge surprise hit me this morning, still figuring it out. I'll sh
are later, but last night was rough

  S: Had to toss my bag down the stairs to make sure they wouldn't find my real phone

  S: They are super suspicious, and now Jon is threatening me over talking to any of my old friends

  S: He says he will send the cops to harass anyone I talk to. I'm starting to think that's what he did to Eddie

  Suz: He's a one-trick pony. People like him always think goths are up to something shady, but I'm really not.

  Suz: Don't let it worry you, I'm squeaky clean and Jon isn't important enough to get your brother arrested.

  S: Goth? That's new since the last time I saw you. Please be careful though, he made it sound like a sure thing, and that makes me worry he might plant something if he realizes it’s you

  Suz: Seriously, don't sweat it, my mom can handle anything he throws at me, now gimme updates! Are you ok? Did you get burned at all? I hear the bus is a total loss, and the bus driver is in the hospital.

  S: I'm ok. No burns. No damage, just shook up and glad I made it out alive

  S: Trevor was there, despite my best efforts, and he kept everyone safe

  Suz: Oh ho ho. Your master plan failed eh? I'm actually chortling right now.

  Suz: He is so handsome and now he is totally heroic. Were you a damsel in distress meeting your dashing prince?

  S: Sketchy. Remind me again why I tell you stuff

  Suz: Because I am saving you from the foster monsters?

  S: True. speaking of. I'm also out of my cell for the day.

  S: Have a surprise later but I wanna work a few things out before I share

  Suz: Fine, I can wait to hear your surprise, but don't forget about our lunch date tomorrow

  S: I'm kinda worried about talking to you now though. Jon was very clear.

  Suz: Don't you dare cancel just because he's a dick.

  S: Well, thinking about hanging at Flying Y Park for a while. I'll text you around noon

  S: Anyway, gotta run. Will text later

  Suz: K, you better, and be Safe!!!